Electron bombarded image sensor array device as well as such an image sensor array

Abstract

The invention relates to an electron bombarded image sensor array device comprising a vacuum chamber having a photocathode capable of releasing electrons into said vacuum chamber when exposed to electromagnetic radiation impinging on said photocathode, electric field means for accelerating said released electrons from said photocathode towards an anode spaced apart from said photocathode in a facing relationship to receive an electron image from said photocathode, said anode being constructed as an back thinned image sensor array having electric connecting pads and being mounted to a carrier using mounting means, said carrier having electric connecting pads to feed electric signals from said image sensor array finally outside said vacuum chamber. The invention also relates to an image sensor array to be used in such a device.

1 . An electron bombarded image sensor array device comprising a vacuum chamber having a photocathode capable of releasing electrons into said vacuum chamber when exposed to electromagnetic radiation impinging on said photocathode, electric field means for accelerating said released electrons from said photocathode towards an anode spaced apart from said photocathode in a facing relationship to receive an electron image from said photocathode, said anode being constructed as an back thinned image sensor array having electric connecting pads and being mounted to a carrier using mounting means, said carrier having electric connecting pads to feed electric signals from said image sensor array outside said vacuum chamber, characterized in that said mounting means consist of electrically conducting support elements, electrically connecting at least one of said electric connecting pads of said image sensor array with at least one of said electric connecting pads of said carrier. 
   
   
       2 . An electron bombarded image sensor array device according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said mounting means further comprise additional support elements being positioned between said image sensor array and said carrier in a non-electric connecting manner. 
   
   
       3 . An electron bombarded image sensor array device according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said mounting means exhibit a three-dimensional shape having at least one dimension in lateral direction parallel to the plane of the image sensor array and/or the carrier, said lateral dimension being larger than its dimension in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the image sensor array and/or the carrier. 
   
   
       4 . An electron bombarded image sensor array device according to  claim 3 , characterized in that said lateral dimension is at least one order of magnitude larger than said its perpendicular dimension/height. 
   
   
       5 . An electron bombarded image sensor array device according to  claim 3 , characterized in that said perpendicular dimension is at most 10 micron. 
   
   
       6 . An electron bombarded image sensor array device according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said mounting means are made of high purity Au, In, Sn, Pb or alloys with melting points below the maximum allowable temperature dictated by the limitations of the image sensor array. 
   
   
       7 . An electron bombarded image sensor array device according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the image sensor array is positioned in such manner, that the back side of the sensors is in a facing relationship with the photocathode. 
   
   
       8 . An electron bombarded image sensor array device according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the back side of the sensor is fully back thinned prior to the mounting to the carrier. 
   
   
       9 . An electron bombarded image sensor array device according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said image sensor array is an active pixel sensor CMOS. 
   
   
       10 . An electron bombarded image sensor array device according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the conducting support elements solely includes metallic bumps. 
   
   
       11 . A thinned image sensor array having electric connecting pads extending to a carrier having electric connecting pads, using mounting means according to  claim 1 .